The Cook – Personal Hygiene Tips

It can be a daunting task trying to prepare a meal while your very active toddler rearrange the cupboards and the dog demands attention as well! However food often becomes contaminated because of poor hygiene on the part of the food handler. Here is 10 quick tips of avoiding this:

1. Wash your hands before working with food, even if you think they are clean. When you get distracted wash them again!
2. Don’t smoke while handling food. Well the ash may fall into the food but more so because the finger-to-mouth contact can spread oral bacteria to the food.
3. Keep the working surface clean all the time and wipe up spillage immediately.
4. Hold the utensils by the handles and all other dishes and glasses in such a way that the surface which comes into contact with the food is not touched.
5. Use a separate tasting spoon and do not return it to food after it has been in your mouth.
6. Keep the refrigerator clean. That goes for all other food storage place as well.
7. Schedule the time that you will need to prepare the food so that you do not get distracted. Start cooking when hubby can look after baby. Multi-tasking is great but bacteria can spread to the food every time you need to attend to baby, the dog and so on.
8. Tie your hair up or ensure that it is kept out of your face and you have no need to push curly locks away while chopping the onions!
9. Once the food has been prepared and simmering on the stove remember to wash your hands every time you need to give it a quick stir.
10. Use disposable paper towels as far as possible in the kitchen especially when preparing meals. Cloths tend to harvest all sorts of germs and bacteria which gets transferred every time you use it.

Author: Tilly Davies
BeWell Owner
for more information visit http://www.bewell.co.za

Keep the kitchen clean!

Author: Tilly Davies

Healthy eating is dependent on the hygiene in the kitchen. Some tips to consider:

1. Make sure that all work surfaces and utensils are kept scrupulously clean all the time.
2. Clean the floor and make sure that all food remnants are carefully wiped away after each meal.
3. Check the drains and make sure that they are not clogged with lumps of fat or food debris.
4. Spilt milk, pie fillings or any other left-over scraps are good agents for bacterial growth and should be carefully wiped away from all surfaces.
5. Throughly clean cutting boards, sinks and other working surfaces with soap and water after use as the preparation of raw foods can infect cooked foods.
6. Keep dish cloths and drying cloths clean and wash after use.
7. Disposable paper towels are recommended to eliminate spreading bacterial growth and dirt from one surface to the other
8. Keep pets out of the kitchen.
9. When preparing meals it is an ideal opportunity to teach small children the importance of cleanliness in the kitchen by getting them involved. Do not allow them to play unsupervised when preparing meals.
10. Avoid doing other tasks while working in the kitchen like answering the phone or the doorbell. Dirt can easily be transferred from the door handle. If you need to answer the phone make sure that you wash you hands thoroughly afterwards. Then rinse or wipe all utensils, dishes, surfaces etc. that you were busy with before you continue.

Remember adequate cleanliness is important to maintain in the kitchen as food brought into the house can be polluted either by direct contact with pests such as rodents or insects or by dirt on the kitchen counters or sink.

Flies live and breed in unclean places. They are attracted by food and are drawn to the kitchen where they can pollute food with disease-producing bacteria.